22 



Indiana University Studies 



c. Erosion Theory 



Pliening-er, 1852 

 Quenstedt, 1853 

 Weiss, 1868 

 Hopkins, 1897 

 Rinne, 1905 



d. Gas Theory 



Zelger, 1870 

 Potonie, 1910 



e. Bitumen Theory 



Alberti, 1858 



Organism Theory. Among the earliest observers to pro- 

 pose an organic origin for stylolites was Eaton (1824, p. 134), 

 who believed the columns to be fossil corals, and proposed for 

 them the name ''lignilites". Kloden (1828, p. 28), in observ- 

 ing the structures in the Muschelkalk at Rildersdorf , regarded 

 the feature as a fossil, and, altho in doubt as to the nature of 

 the animal, proposed for it the name ''Stylolithes sulcatus". 

 In 1834 Kloden discussed their origin in more detail but found 

 few followers. Leube (1850, p. 141) described stylolites as 

 an animal with ''kopfahnlicher Formation und anhangenden 

 Saugorganen". 



Of the many early investigators of stylolites, Quenstedt 

 was one who changed his ideas several times. He at first 

 suggested that the structures were due to the filling up of 

 hollow spaces, or holes, made in the soft slime by the upward 

 movement of mussel shells. Plieninger, in 1852, strongly 

 refuted this theory. 



Crystallization Theory. This theory had its principal 

 support among American investigators. The first to suggest 

 the origin of stylolites as resulting from mineral crystalliza- 

 tion was Bonnycastle (1831, p. 74). Basing his theory upon 

 observations in the Niagaran and Trenton limestones, he re- 

 garded the structures as a *'new mineral due to infiltration" 

 and suggested that the ''yellowish coating" was probably "a 

 new variety of shale, in which there is a good deal of iron". 



Vanuxem (1838, p. 271; 1842, pp. 107-109) claimed to 

 have solved the mystery of stylolites and suggested that they 

 were due to the crystallization of sulfate of magnesia in soft 

 sediment at the time the rocks were deposited. The salts, 

 after having been subsequently removed by solution, left their 



